But it IS real. And I can’t even begin to tell you how quickly this last week has flown by. Ever since arriving last Wednesday, my mom and I have been moving at a seriously breakneck pace to get my new apartment in order and take care of other specific home and work related materials. But aside from continuing to get settled into my new life here on the West Coast, this week marked the first 5 days of officially stepping into my new job at Graspr.com.
Before I move on, a little about what I do at Graspr. I’m a “designer.” I’m the idea guy. I’m the equivalent of an architect for the Internet. I come up with cool ideas for new technologies and web interfaces, draw up the blueprints, program interactive prototypes, and make everything look pretty. At Graspr, I am currently THE designer. I am THE idea guy. It’s a pretty sweet gig being one of the creative leads for the company…but believe me when I say it’s a lot of responsibility.
Speaking of which, the “responsibility” thing hit me pretty hard on Monday. I went in to my first day on the job extremely nervous and scared…and the whole time I think I kept asking myself whether or not I really did the right thing taking a job with a startup company nearly 3000 miles away from my comfort zone. The day turned out to be a whirlwind of activities - I met some new people, got my desk and computer set up (I was given a new 15’’ MacBook Pro for work! Whoo hoo!), and started the process of figuring out exactly what I needed to be doing. I had a brief session with my boss and mentor, John Robinson, regarding what I would be working on soon…but I was so nervous with the realization of my new position’s heavy weight, that I had a hard time taking it all in. Regardless, I shook my head in approval and tried to look happy, but ultimately questions unspoken went unanswered, and I felt swept up into a giant abyss of anxiety and fear. At the end of the day, I was left feeling very overwhelmed.
On the plus side of things, Monday wasn't too bad - I did get a free lunch courtesy of John (free lunches are a tradition for new employees in Silicon Valley companies). And honestly, I don’t let new situations get my down that easily. It just takes me a little while to get accustomed to a new place, and more often than not I place too little faith in my own abilities. So I took a deep breath and tried to relax a little.
And then Tuesday came. I met with Teresa Philips, our fearless leader and head honcho at Graspr. She’s an awesome person, a very experienced businesswoman, and a true visionary. We talked for a long time. She gave me her rundown of what Graspr was all about, and what she had in mind for the company in the near future. And to my relief, she gave me a clue about where I would fit in. To say the least, I felt MUCH better after our meeting was over. My energy was coming back to me. Tuesday afternoon was a blur, but at least I felt better.
On Wednesday morning, I met with John again. We had a great session, and were able to really nail down exactly WHAT I should be doing in the ‘here and now.’ I think figuring out my most immediate task was the breath of fresh air that I needed – it finally felt like my feet had hit the ground. And man, if my feet were moving, they sure did take off fast. I was right into the heat of things on day number 3! (These startups don't waste any time). I did a few design mock-ups that afternoon, all hand sketches…and it was during those sketches that I remembered exactly why I choose to be a designer. I absolutely love it.
So I went in to Thursday morning with a much more confident attitude. It was a good thing too, because I had my first design review session. A quick note for those of you not in the know: design review sessions are when designers really get tested. It’s when your stuff is put out there for the other smarter people to make cake batter out of. Bearing this in mind, I was a little nervous. Teresa, John, and I went over the designs I created on Wednesday afternoon. And much to my chagrin, they really liked them. They liked them! Obviously, they didn’t let me get away without suggestions, but the important thing was that they fed off of my ideas in a really positive way. They related to my designs. And most importantly, I finally had a good feeling about what I was doing.
And that was when everything clicked. Graspr felt right. I guess I never realized how much doubt I really had in my mind until I got out here. But doing those designs and getting that positive feedback was the encouragement I needed.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt now that this is the place I’m supposed to be. Without question, God has led me here. And after talking to Teresa and getting a feel for what Graspr aspires to be, I can confidently say that this company has the potential to do great things. And I’m going to do my best to help them get there.
I'm still in the process of getting things settled in my new apartment...but California is just as awesome as I remember it to be - great weather, a relaxing atmosphere, and amazing sunsets....And I've got a good feeling about this job.
Here are some photos from my first 5 days in the California working world!:
The outside of the office
Getting closer...
Hooray for flowery welcome signs!
My cubicle was so empty that first day...but wait. Was that a new 15'' Macbook Pro sitting on the desk there? I believe it was. =)
It's like a little bundle of joy.
And there she is in all her glory.
My buddy Amol. He's a Flash wiz.
Hey! Now I'm getting somewhere with my cube decor.
My new whiteboard. An absolute must for any designer. Believe it or not, all of those scribbles actually mean something.
Another shot of the cube...I've got my art kit ready to go on the right.
I set up Christmas lights in the hallway behind my cube. You can see some of my sketches starting to take over the wall...I plan on turning it into a design wall of awesomeness.
MK, this is for you. I've still got Dwight with me. My office just wouldn't be complete without him. =)
2 comments:
coopy! yay, this was a fun read :-D i'll admit, this is the first time i've made it to your blog, but i intend to stop by regularly now!
i'm sooo glad you are feeling like it's all clicking and it's all right...wonderful! must feel like breathing new air or something.
found any good churches yet?
Still working on finding churches at the moment. Mom and I visited a church last weekend, and it was good. Russ's buddy actually recommended it. I'll probably be visiting several more before I commit to anything though. ;)
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